Angela Joyner spent the first part of her career in marketing and general management, working at Hanes, Hallmark, Mattel, and ConAgra Foods. In 2016, she stepped into the role of executive director for the Center for Career and Talent Development at Radford University, and since then, has served as the university’s chief innovation officer, interim chief of staff, interim vice president for enrollment management, and now as the vice president for economic development and corporate education.

Joyner has a bachelor’s degree in textile and apparel management from North Carolina State University, a Master of Business Administration from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, and a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Joyner’s GO Virginia Region 2 project is in collaboration with New River Community College, Virginia Tech, the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council, VERGE, and Onward NRV.

1. Over the course of your career, what is your proudest accomplishment?

One of my proudest accomplishments is reimagining the Center for Career and Talent Development at Radford University. Another is having the opportunity to create The HUB at Radford for Economic Development. I am proud of taking my previous experience in business and marketing and leveraging that to build partnerships for our students and Radford University in the region. I love helping students dream big and see what’s possible in their careers as well as having a positive impact on our communities.

2. What is your favorite part of your job as vice president for economic development and corporate education at Radford University?

My favorite part of my role is connecting people to the university and empowering our students through internships and work-based learning opportunities. I also enjoy helping to build thriving communities in Southwest Virginia and beyond.

3. Can you talk about the inspiration behind your GO Virginia Region 2 project and why creating an IT and cybersecurity certification pipeline is important?

As we thought about both the needs of our students and of the state, we saw emerging IT and cybersecurity jobs were continuing to grow across Virginia. We saw an opportunity to increase student awareness of the importance of certifications while also better understanding the needs of employers. That inspired us to think about building a certification center, which would be in closer proximity to Radford University, New River Community College, and Virginia Tech. The location of the center would remove barriers for students who would otherwise have to travel to Roanoke or Wytheville to obtain career changing certifications. We also wanted to open the certification center up to the wider community.

The other opportunity we saw was giving our faculty who are training the next generation the chance to engage with industry experts to learn what’s happening in IT and cybersecurity as we’re developing these talent pipelines. This would allow our industry experts to inform curriculum as well as potentially hire students as interns in the field of IT.

4. What do you hope the impact of your GO Virginia project will be?

I hope we significantly increase the number of students coming out of their IT and cybersecurity programs with certifications pre-graduation and that they’re filling the jobs that the commonwealth needs. Secondly, I’d love to find other opportunities to expand the certifications, licenses, or credential offerings that can help upskill our current workforce to meet the demands of jobs in the future.

5. What is the most memorable place you have ever visited?

My favorite place I’ve visited would be Florence, Italy. I love the culture, the food, the language, and the art history. I also love Cape Town, South Africa for very similar reasons in terms of the culture, the wildlife, and the people.

6. What hobbies and activities do you like to do in your spare time?

I have a seven-year-old daughter, and I love spending time with her and our two puppies. We enjoy traveling, hiking, camping, backpacking, and being outdoors. We feel incredibly blessed to live in this region of the state and enjoy the natural resources it offers.

7. What was the last book you read that you would recommend?

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney. It’s a psychological thriller.